My Child’s Different: The lessons learned from one family’s struggle to unlock their son’s potential

With contributions from parenting expert Melissa Hood.Drawing lessons from the transformational journey of a young man who was written off by society but went on to become a budding entrepreneur, My Child’s Different explores the enabling role that parents can play in maximising the potential of children who are seen as `different’ or `difficult’. In My Child’s Different Elaine Halligan – a mother of two – tells the true story of her son Sam, who by the age of seven had been excluded from three schools and was later labelled as having a whole host of conditions, ranging from autistic spectrum disorder (ASD) to pathological demand avoidance (PDA) to severe dyslexia. He had become `the alphabet kid’. His parents never gave up on him, however, taking positive parenting courses and researching all kinds of different therapies to support him. They believed he was a good and capable person, and that belief in turn gave Sam resilience, grit and an ability to persevere in the face of adversity.My Child’s Different is much more than a tale of one boy’s educational challenges. It gives hope to all parents and carers who for a variety of reasons may be concerned about what the future holds for their children, and demonstrates how, with the use of positive parenting skills, all children’s potential can be unlocked. My Child’s Different is a celebration of all the unique qualities those who are different bring to society.